Experienced lock Steven Sykes was named as captain of the Southern Kings for their opening round Super Rugby match against the Cell C Sharks at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium this coming Saturday.

Sykes will lead a fairly inexperienced side, with Shane Gates assisting him as vice captain.

Former Bulls player Jurgen Visser will start at fullback in a back three combination with former Sharks winger Luzuko Vulindlu and last year’s SA Under-20 player, Malcolm Jaer. Vice captain and inside centre Shane Gates will occupy the midfield with JP du Plessis. Former Cheetahs flyhalf Elgar Watts will form the half back pairing along with the inexperienced Ntando Kebe.

Robust eighthman, Jacques Engelbrecht will give the home side some forward momentum with his strong ball carrying ability along with Thembelanin Bholi and Chris Cloete on the flank. Captain Sykes will partner with another former Sharks player, JC Astle, as they form part of the tight five along with Tom Botha, Martin Fereira and experienced loose head, Schalk Feirreira.

Edgar Marutlulle and Louis Fouche will add some experience to a otherwise very inexperienced bench.

36 Comments

I am all for not being over confident, but let’s be honest. Against this who’s who of nobodies, outcasts and has beens, who have to worry about being paid, and who have had leadership changes….there is literally no excuse not to pick up a bonus point.

Comment 1, posted at 23.02.16 15:51:07 by Seth101

@Seth101 (Comment 1) : The biggest danger here is – they have nothing to loose and will want to throw up as many upsets as they can along the way during the campaign – we need to ensure we are in the right frame that we are not the first of these!

Comment 2, posted at 23.02.16 16:06:12 by stevovo

Hey visser got a contract? Good for him! No reason for us not to thump them though.

Comment 3, posted at 23.02.16 16:08:08 by Dragnipur

@stevovo (Comment 2) : Nothing to lose, but nothing to play for either.

Comment 4, posted at 23.02.16 16:08:56 by Seth101

Its not an insanely good team but the longer they stay in the game the better their spoiling tactics will be and being at home will help (well if a crowd arrives). Sharks need to put on points early, will kill off the contest

Comment 5, posted at 23.02.16 16:11:04 by SheldonK

not sure what to make of this selection. Some pretty useful players, but man, there’s just no collective experience there.

Hard not to predict a big Sharks win, if we play to our potential. Even scarier are the implications of a team like this going to play the Saders in Christchurch

Comment 6, posted at 23.02.16 16:12:42 by robdylan

Cloete worries me a bit – he can be a real nuisance. We are likely to have the pace and work rate in the loose trio, though, to neutralise him. Can’t take your eye of Bholi either, though. A real livewire.

Comment 7, posted at 23.02.16 16:14:01 by robdylan

no place for stefan watermeyer?

Comment 8, posted at 23.02.16 16:18:45 by 50shadesofshark

I would think the biggest obstacle we face is overconfidence. I’ve seen it a million times, Sharks should thump the opposition so instead we straggle for a win. If the boys turn up knowing they can lose they should win big.

Comment 9, posted at 23.02.16 16:31:31 by Hulk

It’s hard to come up with any excuse that could justify a loss here. The pressure and expectation is squarely on the Sharks. This is a good test of character in regards to seeing how this new team responds.

Comment 10, posted at 23.02.16 17:13:35 by vanmartin

@Hulk (Comment 9) : With Rob Du Preez and MMA-Joe with the coaching team, I am as confident as I’ve ever been that the Sharks will have too much respect for the Sharks team to ever again underestimate the opposition.

Let’s hope my feelings are correct.

Comment 11, posted at 23.02.16 17:18:47 by FireTheLooser

@robdylan (Comment 7) : cloete is gonna be a real problem, I remember asking about him when he was at the sharks or had just left for province and you said he had attitude problems .

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I really hope the Sharks players do not read this comments as it seems to me as most people think it will be an easy game. The biggest problem I have with that is that the Kings players are basically playing for survival!! They know they must perform so that other teams can signed them!! In nature a wounded animal is a dangerous animal and I think the Kings players are pretty wounded and playing in PE they could just have the motivation to play out of their socks to show everyone that they’re not as poor as the general perception seems to be!!!!!!

Comment 23, posted at 24.02.16 08:03:38 by JD

@JD (Comment 23) : If we are not confident of going into this game with the express purpose of giving this team a huge hiding,then we have no right to be here.
This is way and above the easiest game of the year,and we have to be supremely confident of winning it.It is not about arrogance ,but self belief.

Comment 24, posted at 24.02.16 08:34:21 by The hound

@FireTheLooser (Comment 11) : I also get that feeling and with a lot of young guys trying to cement their place in the starting 15 I imagine these guys are motivated. Time will tell.

@coolfusion (Comment 21) : I’d like to know what happened to him, was disappointed when he left us and hoped we’d sign him when he left EP.

Comment 25, posted at 24.02.16 08:45:13 by Hulk

@The hound (Comment 24) : I’m ok with self belief but you still have to respect your opposition and in Super rugby there are no “easy” games especially when two SA sides face each other!!!!!!!!!! Trust me if the players think this is an easy game then they might be in for a long 80min!!!!!!!!!!! Personally I also think the Sharks should beat them, but respect all opposition and let the score board show how easy or hard a game was rather than declare it before kick off!!

Comment 26, posted at 24.02.16 09:14:00 by JD

@coolfusion (Comment 21) : don’t think anyone knows, suppose he lost his spot when he took on EP Rugby reg the non payments and SA Rugby in the vote of no confidence.

Comment 27, posted at 24.02.16 09:31:09 by pierre_mackie

@The hound (Comment 22) : I think SPs problem was he arrived injured, and BjvR wanted him to come back, then Brent left so he was left in the cold

Comment 28, posted at 24.02.16 09:33:40 by pierre_mackie

@JD (Comment 23) : I reckon the Sharks are well aware that a win is expected from them whether the game will be tough or not.

Comment 29, posted at 24.02.16 09:35:56 by vanmartin

I still believe Kings will benefit from a fit and playing Luke Watson, along with SP Marais, Tim Whitehead, Ronnie Cooke, Scott van Breda and get Tim Agaba back surely he will have more impact playing Super Rugby than 7s

@robdylan (Comment 7) : I’m keen to see more of Cloete, not the biggest player around but think he will do well around the rucks and hopefully win a few penalties for the Kings. Bholi and Engelbrecht should be your ball carriers

Comment 32, posted at 24.02.16 09:44:02 by pierre_mackie

@vanmartin (Comment 29) : I also expect the Sharks to win the game, but you must still prepare for a hard game because SA teams usually make it tough to win games especially away from home!!!!!!!!!

Comment 33, posted at 24.02.16 09:44:11 by JD

@pierre_mackie (Comment 32) : Sharks must clear the rucks to ensure that Cloete and the other players can’t slow down Sharks recycling.

Comment 34, posted at 24.02.16 09:46:33 by JD

@JD (Comment 33) : there shouldn’t be a thing as an easy game, you should approach all teams the same irrespective whether you play Crusaders or Sunwolves. Get your basics right, build up your points and confidence and from there adapt to playing conditions and play your style of rugby not theirs.

Comment 35, posted at 24.02.16 09:52:01 by pierre_mackie

@pierre_mackie (Comment 35) : well said!!! That’s exactly what I was trying to say! Good luck for the Kings season (but not to much during the Sharks game)!!!!!!!